Season 1
11 episodes Jan 24, 2016 8.0
Overview
Erin and Ben Napier, a small town Mississippi couple, renovate neighborhood historical houses giving them modern and affordable updates. From Erin's imaginative hand sketches to Ben's custom handiwork, this couple is bringing homes back to life and making sure their small town's future is as bright as its past.
Seasons
11 listed- Status
- Returning Series
- Seasons
- 10 seasons
- Episodes
- 149 episodes
- First aired
- Jan 24, 2016
- Last aired
- May 3, 2026
- Episode length
- 42m
- Network
- HGTV
Latest episode: S10 E16 Unfinished Business (May 3, 2026)
Season 2
10 episodes Jan 8, 2018 8.0
Season 3
13 episodes Jan 14, 2019
Season 4
19 episodes Jan 20, 2020
Season 5
15 episodes Jan 3, 2021
Season 6
11 episodes Dec 26, 2021 10.0
Season 7
18 episodes Dec 4, 2022
Season 8
20 episodes Jan 7, 2024
Season 9
16 episodes Dec 29, 2024 9.0
Season 10
16 episodes Jan 4, 2026
Specials
3 episodes Mar 9, 2020
Cast
Reviews
6 min readThe Quiet Revolution of a Hammer and a Sketchbook
I’ll admit it: I didn’t expect to care about a reality show about home renovation. Not because I have anything against people fixing up old houses—quite the opposite, in fact. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a crumbling porch get rebuilt, or a water-stained ceiling transformed into something bright and new.
But reality TV, even the well-intentioned kind, has a way of sanding down the edges of real life until everything feels like a carefully staged performance. So when I first clicked on Home Town, I braced myself for the usual formula: dramatic reveals, manufactured tension, and a couple whose chemistry was just a little too polished to be real.
What I found instead was something quieter, stranger, and far more compelling. Erin and Ben Napier aren’t just renovating houses in Laurel, Mississippi—they’re rebuilding a town, one hand-drawn sketch and custom-built bookshelf at a time. And somehow, in the process, they’ve made a show that feels less like escapism and more like a love letter to the kind of slow, stubborn hope that keeps small towns alive.
The premise is simple: a homeowner in Laurel reaches out to the Napiers, usually because they’ve fallen in love with an old house but don’t know how to bring it back to life. Erin, with her background in design and a sketchbook that seems to be permanently attached to her hand, dreams up a vision for the space. Ben, a woodworker with the patience of a saint and the forearms of someone who could probably bench-press a refrigerator, turns that vision into reality.
Along the way, they involve the whole town—local craftsmen, historians, even the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. It’s the kind of show that makes you want to move to Mississippi, or at least pick up a hammer and try to build something yourself.
But here’s the thing: Home Town isn’t really about the houses. Or, rather, it’s about the houses because of what they represent. Laurel, like so many small towns across America, has seen better days.
The downtown was hollowed out by big-box stores, the population was shrinking, and the historic homes that once gave the town its character were falling into disrepair. The Napiers aren’t just fixing up individual houses—they’re trying to reverse that decline, one renovation at a time. And they’re doing it in the most old-fashioned way possible: by betting on the idea that beauty and craftsmanship still matter.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
"A charming, hands-on renovation series with a personal touch that resonates with fans of cozy home improvement shows."
Viewers appreciate the genuine chemistry between Erin and Ben Napier, whose down-to-earth personalities and creative design solutions make home renovations feel relatable and inspiring. The series stands out for its focus on community and small-town charm, latestnetflix.com maintains, though some note that the projects can occasionally feel repetitive or overly sentimental.
What viewers praise
- Authentic host chemistry Erin and Ben Napier’s natural rapport and shared passion for design create a warm, engaging dynamic that viewers find endearing.
- Creative renovations The show highlights unique, budget-friendly design ideas that inspire viewers to tackle their own home projects.
- Small-town charm The focus on community and local stories adds a heartfelt layer that distinguishes it from other home improvement series.
Common complaints
- Repetitive format Some viewers feel the show’s structure can become predictable, with similar challenges and solutions across episodes.
- Sentimental tone The emphasis on personal stories and nostalgia may not appeal to those seeking a more straightforward renovation show.
Recommended for
Home improvement enthusiasts Fans of cozy reality TV DIY project lovers Small-town story seekers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe HGTV executive emailed at 11 p.m. Erin thought they wanted stationery.
Late on 27 July 2014, Lindsey Weidhorn wrote Erin and Ben Napier a question. "Have you ever thought about doing anything on TV?" Erin had been posting Laurel, Mississippi, on Instagram, including the hashtag #ILiveinLaurel, and she ran a letterpress wedding-stationery shop. She assumed the producer wanted save-the-dates. latestnetflix.com's take is that Weidhorn had been watching the cottage and the couple for months 
, .
They were not contractors. Erin was a graphic designer. Ben was a woodworker with a history degree. They had met at Ole Miss, married in 2008, and moved back to Erin's hometown. Ben later told the Wall Street Journal that downtown then had one coffee shop and one restaurant open only for lunch. Erin added that the rest was lawyers and shuttered buildings , .
HGTV sent a crew in November 2014 for a five-minute sizzle, then ten people in May and June 2015 for the pilot. They renovated for six weeks and finished a week early. Ben said that had never happened for the network. The heat was brutal. The first clients, Ross and Laura Tew, bought a historic house for $142,500 against a $215,000 budget and asked for a porch they could live on , .
Three leads. Two of them are people.
Ben told local TV the network named three main characters. "It'll be Erin and I and Laurel." They only agreed if the show would "shine a bright light on our town." An executive producer promised a love letter that would make Laurel America's favorite small town. They announced the series pickup at the Magnolia State Bank chili cook-off downtown , .
The pilot aired 24 January 2016 at 11 a.m. Central. Mississippi Today later wrote that it drew 2.3 million viewers, more than any other HGTV pilot. Erin told CBS they made it for fun and assumed it would never air. Then 2.2 million people watched. "HGTV is sending a positive message to the world about Mississippi," Ben said. "People are starting to flock to Laurel" , .
Mayberry with a mercantile and a fire.
By 2023 the Wall Street Journal was calling Laurel Mississippi's Mayberry. Tourists start at Laurel Mercantile Co., the Scotsman General Store, and the Scent Library, shops the Napiers own. The couple reopened the mercantile in December 2016, a store that had closed in the 1930s. The series had already renovated more than 100 houses, some of them now short-term rentals , .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jDt_fqHAas
The love letter got expensive. In 2026 their spinoff Home Town: Inn This Together followed friends turning a vacant 1930s Kress department store into the Heirloom Hotel. A fire tore through the building days after HGTV announced the series. Erin posted that they held each other and watched Laurel firefighters work for hours. "Today feels like a funeral," she wrote. The official HGTV clip still sells the small town as if nothing burns , .
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.